Utility repair tag (also known as A-tag, asphalt tag and road cut medallion) is a plastic color-coded pavement marker embedded in the top surface of an asphalt utility cut restoration to identify the responsible party of that pavement repair or patch. [1] [2] The tag is not to be used for identification of an underground utility location. [3]
In 1987, a patent application was filed by Richard E. Sanchez to create a flat disc plastic wafer to be used as a utility cut patch identification tag. Prior to that, government regulations required identification washer to be nailed into the pavement, which created many issues. [4] Subsequently, Sanchez made an improvement to add legs to the plastic disc and filed for another patent in 1989. [5] However, the invention was not used for its intended purpose. The tags were used by many municipalities as call before you dig warning markers instead. [2]
In 2006, New York City Department of Transportation initiated its A-tag program. The goal was to use the tags to clearly identify the responsible party and the year for each of those pavement patches. Prior to the program, the city used painted color which did not contain enough information to identify the responsible party. [2] Some painted marks could identify the responsible party such as yellow "E" marks for Con Edison. The E mark may also include the year such as "E7" for patches made by Con Edison in 2007. However, the painted marks were not consistent. [6]
After Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston, drove on a patch that was settled and he wanted to have it fixed. The city was unable to identify the contractor who were responsible for that patch. That caused the city to search for a solution and eventually adopt the same utility repair tag approach in 2011. [2] [7]
City of Syracuse, New York adopted its "road cut medallion" program in 2016. [8]
Pittsburgh revised its Right-of-Way Procedures Policy in 2017 to require utility repair tags for all utility cut repairs. [9]
Utility repair tags are color coded. The assigned colors may vary depending on municipality regulations. For example, city of Boston and city of Cambridge, Massachusetts use blue for patches made by water utilities, orange for telecommunication companies, yellow for gas utilities, red for electric companies, gray for city contractors, and green for private contractors. [10] [3] On the other hand, Syracuse uses green color for sewer utility cuts. [8] New York City uses a completely different color scheme. The colors are assigned to particular companies or agencies rather than types of utilities. For example, different shades of yellow tags are used for Empire City Subway, Long Island Power Authority, and Buckeye Pipeline. Two shades of blue are for Con Edison and cable companies. [11]
Information on the tags includes the company name, agency name or private contractor number, and two digit year in the middle. In case of Boston, the tags also include permittee's bond number. [12]
Sizes of the top of utility repair tags are between 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm). They should be made of a UV stable Polypropylene material. They should have anchor legs with locking steps to prevent the tags from dislodging from the pavement surface. [3]
Other specifications include how many tags to be installed based on the sizes of the patches, prohibition of using nails, installation procedure on pressing the tags in asphalt before compaction and they should be flushed to the surfaces, and how long the tags should be in place. [10] [9]
Some utility companies use utility repair tags as dual-purpose tags. They embed the tags in concrete sidewalk restorations after installing underground utilities. This is to help municipalities to quickly identify the responsible parties of the utility cut repairs. Additional benefit is to have the tags to be visible enough to warn excavators of the utility locations. [13]
A research in Indiana proposed to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to be embedded in the pavements and patches. The information related to a given patch can be read by RFID readers on pavement monitoring vehicles. [14]
A road is a thoroughfare for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles and pedestrians. Unlike streets, whose primary function is to serve as public spaces, the main function of roads is transportation.
A sidewalk, pavement, footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway is a path along the side of a road. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick, stone, or asphalt, it is designed for pedestrians. A sidewalk is normally higher than the roadway, and separated from it by a kerb. There may also be a planted strip between the sidewalk and the roadway and between the roadway and the adjacent land.
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A road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, macadam, hoggin, cobblestone and granite setts were extensively used, but these have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete laid on a compacted base course. Asphalt mixtures have been used in pavement construction since the beginning of the 20th century and are of two types: metalled (hard-surfaced) and unmetalled roads. Metalled roadways are made to sustain vehicular load and so are usually made on frequently used roads. Unmetalled roads, also known as gravel roads or dirt roads, are rough and can sustain less weight. Road surfaces are frequently marked to guide traffic.
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Portuguese pavement, known in Portuguese as calçada portuguesa or simply calçada, is a traditional-style pavement used for many pedestrian areas in Portugal. It consists of small pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, like a mosaic. It can also be found in Olivença and throughout former Portuguese colonies, especially in Brazil. Portuguese workers are also hired for their skill in creating these pavements in places such as Gibraltar. Being usually used in sidewalks, it is in town squares and atriums that this art finds its deepest expression.
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Maxwell Products, Inc. is a privately held, pavement maintenance products manufacturing company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1975 by brothers Ted and Delwyn Maxwell, Maxwell Products manufactures asphalt and concrete pavement preservation products, including Elastoflex crack and concrete joint sealant, NUVO premium crack and concrete joint sealant, GAP Mastic, and GAP Patch.
On July 18, 2007, an explosion in Manhattan, New York City, sent a geyser of hot steam up from beneath a busy intersection, with a 40-story-high shower of mud and flying debris raining down on the crowded streets of Midtown Manhattan. It was caused by the failure of an 83-year-old, 24-inch (0.61 m) underground steam pipe near Grand Central Terminal, which exploded during the evening rush hour. 45 people were injured, and one woman died of a heart attack while fleeing.
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A utility cut is a cut and excavation to an existing road surface to install or repair subterranean public utility conduits and equipment. After the utility is installed or repaired, the road needs to be restored which will result in patches on the road surface. Due to a different settling rate of the backfill material relative to the original pavement, the road surface condition may be deteriorated after the road restoration. This will require ongoing maintenance and repairs.